The Finale(Done my way)
by The Blade of Osh-Tekk
Summary: Title says it all. There was just one minor thing I want to change. Therefore, I'm making this. Can't really think of a decent picture to use for this. But RIP Regular Show. One of the few modern cartoons that I could actually enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: If you haven't seen the finale yet, you should. You most definitely should. Either way, I have to say I'm not the biggest fan that the show is over, but better it end now than have it drone on and on and on and eventually get stale. Now, just about everything that happens fits perfectly in my mind. Mordecai finishing art school and being a successful artist, Rigby and Eileen hitting it off and making a family together. Same goes for Muscle Man and Starla as well as Benson and Pam. Skips staying at the park, Benson still continuing being the manager, High Five Ghost and Celia making a life for themselves. All scenarios I could see. Except one. What in the heck is with Mordecai hooking up with a bat girl?

Ok, the idea isn't that ludicrous. I mean, lots of people don't always get back together with their exes. But still. This was the only thing that seemed off to me. It just didn't feel all that right. Very out of place. I mean, if CJ had made a comeback, I would've been fine with that. If he reunited with Margaret, I would've been more than fine with that. This was just as random as Regular Show itself. So, this is my version of the ending. At least in that regard. You see the character listing. You already know what it's gone be.

* * *

Mordecai walked away from the reporter and kept his eyes on the man over on the sidelines, wiping his face with a handkerchief. Regardless of them being sent up into space because of his planning, he out of all people knew that it had to happen. That his son had to go so the universe would be saved. He had no hard feelings at all for the man. Just sympathy.

Mordecai looked up at the moon and sighed with his shoulders relaxing. He closed his eyes and felt the breeze on his face. The feeling of being on Earth again. He tried to relish in the feeling of being back on Earth to finally build a life, but it was marred. Horribly marred by the fact that they were missing one person. One person who had to go so they could live. There were a lot of things you could go through, but seeing one of your closest friends go is hard. Especially when it was someone like Pops. A man full of happiness and joy.

Mordecai opened his eyes before looking to the crowd. So many were smiling. So many seemed content. Amazed. Excited. He was glad to see his parents, but there was still that feeling. That distracting feeling of what happened to Pops. That strange feeling of wanting to mourn, but wanting to stuff it down at the same time. Maybe it would help if he slept on it. It was the middle of the day, but after what they just finished, he felt as if he could sleep the day away. It wouldn't have been a bad idea. Or maybe he would travel around and get a feel for the places that he used to be so familiar with. Just for old times sake.

"Mordecai!" a voice exclaimed. He turned, and felt his back get covered by red hands. He easily recognized Margaret's voice when she called out for him. She was also someone that he missed a fair bit. The warm feeling he felt immediately made him feel the urge to put his arms around her and hug her as well.

"Hey Margaret," he said, a small smile coming to his face. At the moment, a small smile was all he could manage. It was genuine though.

"We didn't know what had happened to you all. It was a shock at the time," Margaret said, looking at him hesitantly.

"Yeah, it was for the best though. Still couldn't stay out of trouble even in space," Mordecai said, both of them chuckling hesitantly at the same time.

"So, um... I hate to ask, but... where is Pops?" Margaret asked. The look of sadness that crossed Mordecai's face spun Margaret for a loop. It wasn't a look she saw on his face too often. Only... she wanted to kick herself for thinking about it.

"He's... he's gone," Mordecai said sadly and gently. Then his eyes went to Maellard. "And he knows it too."

Margaret's eyes wandered to Maellard, she could never recall a time where she had ever seen the man lose composure. Except for now, that is. And it seemed he had all the reason to.

"It's weird," Mordecai suddenly said, immediately getting Margaret's attention. "Being back on Earth. The air, the surroundings. The feeling in general. It's... weird, but home at the same time."

Margaret stared Mordecai in the face for a few moments. Something about him seemed... fuller. Stronger. More mature. He was no Rigby by any means, but he still had his moments. Strangely enough, she got that feeling from Rigby and Eileen as well. It felt like they had all changed a fair amount.

"What were you up on space for?" Margaret asked.

"Training. Apparently, there was a program that none of us signed up for, but were put into. Then we got into a bunch of insanity, there was a giant battle, and all of us would've died if it wasn't for Pops."

The words came out rushed. He felt as if he didn't say it fast, he would've gotten gotten sick from the thought. Didn't work. The thought was still extremely disheartening to think about.

"Listen..." Mordecai said, stopping her as she was about to speak. "I really don't feel like talking about it right now. Maybe another time."

Margaret nodded in understanding. There it was again; that more mature vibe that she felt from him. Time in space changes people. At least when you spend that time the way they did.

"I missed you. I mean, you know..." Margaret said, a light blush coming to her cheeks. Mordecai chuckled a little. It felt good.

"I missed you too. So, what have you all been up to without us here?" Mordecai asked.

"There's been a lot of discussion as to what happened to all of you. It's been on the news, social media, everything. No one knew a thing though. I think that was the part that worried us the most," Margaret said.

"Well, we're relatively fine at least," Mordecai said, holding his hands out. Margaret didn't miss the word 'relatively.' "Feels pretty good to be back. And I've got a few plans in mind for returning, but that's for another time. What I really want to do is relax."

"I've got the place then," Margaret said before looking over to Rigby and Eileen. They were still kissing. Did they ever come up for air? "Ok..."

"It's alright. I'm sure he'll prefer being where he is right now. Just... lead the way," Mordecai said, raising a hand. Margaret nodded and led him over to the car that she arrived in. And drove him right to the coffee shop.

A content smile came to his face as he laid his eyes upon the coffee shop. It hadn't changed a bit. There was that bit of relief he felt as well as happiness.

"Still like this place?" Margaret said, smiling gently at him.

"Oh, yeah. I'm glad it never changed. It's nice that's it's still here and untouched," Mordecai said as he walked inside. But he held the door open for Margaret.

"What, are you trying to prove chivalry isn't dead?" she said with a cheeky grin.

"I could close the door in your face," he said idly, making her immediately step into the shop with a strong stride. He grinned wide as he let go of the door. Worked every time. He couldn't really understand why that was so fun to do.

They took a seat and there was a new waitress here. I guess no males ever decided to work at this place. Shame. The coffee perks were awesome. He knew because Margaret told him when she worked here.

"Hi," the waitress said brightly. Very brightly. While her eyes were primarily on Mordecai. "It's cool that you survived being up in space."

"It wasn't too much of a big deal. I mean, if I dealt with the things that happen in this city on a daily basis, I can handle space," Mordecai said with a smile. The waitress smiled wider at him and Margaret wasn't even going to deny the irritation that pricked through her skin.

"Can we order our coffees please?" she asked. The waitress looked towards her, and her bright expression barely fell, but it did.

"Oh. Of course. What would you like?" she asked before Margaret looked to Mordecai.

"Has your preference changed?" Margaret asked him.

"Of course not," Mordecai said as she turned back to give the waitress the orders. After years of serving him coffee, it wasn't that much of a surprise that she still knew the coffee he liked.

"Alright. I'll be back with them soon," the waitress said, giving Mordecai one final look before walking off.

"She seems friendly," Mordecai said casually. That was an understatement. He didn't miss that look she gave him. While he was certainly not used to women looking at him like that, he didn't feel flustered about it.

"Yeah. She does," Margaret said before staring at the blue jay. "So, um..."

"Dating anyone?" Mordecai asked casually. The robin found herself being caught off guard by the brashness of his question.

"Oh. Well, um... no. Not at the moment," Margaret said, feeling her cheeks get hot. Was she blushing? She was seriously blushing.

"Oh," Mordecai said in a somewhat subdued tone. Before Mordecai had even dated her, Margaret was... well, she bounced between relationships pretty often. He was kind of expecting her to do the same since he's been gone. Then again, if it was anything like the past, they never lasted long.

"Yeah..." Margaret trailed awkwardly. Now the whole atmosphere was awkward now. She wasn't blushing anymore, but there was awkwardness so thick, she could feel it. "It's been kind of lonely here."

"I could imagine. But we're back now," Mordecai said gently before thinking, _"Well, most of us."_

"I'm glad for it. Eileen was excited to tell how she's gotten closer to Rigby while they were up there in space," Margaret said, making Mordecai smile.

"Yeah, they've been inseparable. He's happy with her, and I'm happy for him," he said as he intertwined his fingers. He was happy for him, but... maybe it was just a sign that he didn't need a relationship. That he needed to make something of himself.

Margaret tightened the top and bottom of her beak to keep herself silent. She didn't know how to ask him how that was going for him without it sounding incredibly suggestive. And without feeling horrible with herself.

"So... what do you plan on doing now that you're back?" Margaret asked.

"Going back to art school," Mordecai said as the waitress came up with their drinks. Mordecai smiled and thanked her, but Margaret had sat in her seat, statue still. She eyed the robin with a raised brow, but she didn't say anything else as she walked back to the counter.

"Really?" Margaret asked.

Margaret was reminded of the "what goes around, comes around" phrase. It fit perfectly here. It fit very much so.

"Uh huh. There are a couple of things I realized. Me and Rigby? We're going to have to grow up eventually. I mean... I don't see us being able to manage retirement on the park salary, do you? And I realized something. If I just stay here and do nothing, I'm stuck with the thought that if I don't go back, I'm making a mistake," Mordecai said.

"Definitely _fits here,"_ Margaret thought.

"So... you're leaving again?" she said aloud.

"Yeah. I mean... the program we went to offered to compensate us for what happened, and... I know what I'm putting that compensation into. I got a little bit into art school. I should only be gone for, what? Two, three years? I'll study, I'll make some art, become freelance. See where I can take it, you know?" Mordecai said with a small smile.

"That's... that's a really good decision," Margaret said with a smile. It was somewhat forced. While him going back to school was a good thing, she missed having him around, and... he was going to leave already? "When are you going?"

"I'll give it a few days. Weeks, maybe. I want to settle back into the idea of being back on Earth. Once I'm decided, I'll let you all know though," Mordecai said as he sipped his coffee. Margaret did the same to appear casual, but the inside of her stomach suddenly felt like someone dropped snakes in it.

* * *

A/N: This'll be like a two or three shot. Most likely three. Maybe even four. Depends on how I'm feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

"Found a school yet?" Eileen asked Mordecai.

"One. It seems like a perfect fit. For me, at least. It's called Porkridge," Mordecai said, making Rigby snicker.

"What kind of school is called that?" he asked.

"Apparently it was named after some dude who founded the place. He was an artist himself, so he decided to open this school nearing the end of his life," Mordecai said, taking a sip of soda. "But yeah. The place looks good. It seems dropouts are put in a type of exclusive class to help catch up in case they ever lost any of their skills or something like that."

"That does sound perfect," Eileen said as she looked at her buzzing phone.

"Yeah, I've already sent them some of the money I got from being up in the space program and put the rest in the bank. I'll be leaving in a few days. I'll spend some time with all of you before moving out to finish school," Mordecai said before turning to his friend. "What about you? You got any ideas?"

"Not really. For me, it would just be easier to use the money to just settle into a simple life," Rigby said.

"Basically early retirement," Mordecai said.

"Yeah, basically. Between me and Eileen splitting the bills and stuff, she said that the money I got would be a little more than enough. So that's how I'm going to do that. It'll be awesome knowing that I won't have to ever work again," Rigby said with an easygoing smile as he put his hands behind his head.

"That definitely sounds like you," Mordecai said with a smile. "You got yourself a charmer here Eileen."

"Don't I know it," she said, moving over to kiss Rigby. Mordecai refrained from rolling his eyes as he cut on the TV. Maybe some Carter and Briggs was on. The explosions would drown out the two of them kissing.

Mordecai had his feet rested on the desk in front of him while his elbow was leaning on the couch's arm rest. Though his attention was peaked when the door was opened.

"Oh, hey Benson," Mordecai said, looking at his boss.

"Please get your feet off the table," Benson asked, Mordecai immediately obliging. "Thank you. You still have plans on going to school?"

"I'll be leaving in a few days. Found a place that appeals to me the most," Mordecai told him, causing Benson to nod.

"Then I wish you the best. Also, you have a visitor coming up as a pre-warning," Benson said before going up the stairs. The three people on the couch looked towards the doorway at Benson's words and in walked Margaret. She seemed caught off guard that they were already aware to her presence.

"Benson told us," Mordecai said in response to her surprised expression. Her mouth opened in a type of 'ah' expression in understanding. "Join us?"

"What're you watching?" Margaret asked. Didn't stop her from closing the door and sitting down next to Mordecai.

"Carter and Briggs. Well, at least I am. Those two have been kissing the entire time," Mordecai said, jerking his thumb towards Eileen and Rigby. Margaret looked towards the two and smiled at her friend lightly blushing.

"I'm glad to see that you're happy," she said. Eileen smiled at her friend and then Rigby decided to go ahead and watch the TV, causing Mordecai to roll his eyes before going back to the show himself.

Margaret's eyes were on the TV, but occasionally, about every few minutes, her eyes would go towards the blue jay next to her. His eyes were on the TV, but it looked like they were far away; distant and on something that wasn't in front of his face. Hesitantly, but somewhat assured, she put her hand on top of his.

Mordecai's features relaxed slightly before he turned around to face her. At his raised brow, she felt herself go red in the face. But it was more of a curious look rather than a judging one. He also didn't move his hand as he turned back to face the TV.

Mordecai's thoughts were previously on the thought of readjusting to school again. Then Margaret putting her hand on his jerked him from those thoughts, replaced by a feeling of confusion and familiarity. Very warm. The feeling was nice, so he didn't pull away.

But at the same time, he felt his confusion growing as he sat here. Maybe she saw that things were on his mind and wanted to offer him some reassurance. After all, she was in the same situation as he was. Though hers was a bit more intense considering what she was leaving behind. She more than understood that apprehensive feeling that was in his bones.

"For your sake..." Rigby suddenly said, causing Margaret to jump visibly and retract her hand off his. Rigby gave her a perplexed look at the way she reacted to him talking. It almost looked like she got electrocuted.

"You alright Margaret?" Mordecai asked, looking at her with a similar look to the one Rigby was giving. But there was curiosity and concern there too. Her cheeks got even pinker at the gaze.

"I'm fine. Just... kind of tired, that's all. Trying to keep myself awake, you know," Margaret said with a nervous smile. She knew Mordecai had been in this situation more than once. It was unbelievably awkward.

"Well, you should find better ways to do it other than jumping like you got scared," Rigby said before looking around Margaret to look at Mordecai. "Anyway, what I was going to say is that for your sake, I hope that you have a lot more luck going to art school this time than the last time." Mordecai smiled at his friend.

"I certainly hope so too. But I'm going to give it my all this time. I'm not going to let anything distract me. I just need to focus and get through it," he said. "I just need to tap into the passion I had for the art at one point. That's all I need to help me."

"Is it there?" Margaret asked, making Mordecai smile.

"It's definitely here. I just need to use it," he said before his stomach rumbled. "Whew. Don't need to think twice about what that means. You all wanna go out?"

"I vote for Wing Kingdom!" Rigby exclaimed.

"Eh... I'm leaning more towards Cheezers," Mordecai said before looking back and forward between the two women. "Ladies?"

"Who says we can't go to both?" Eileen questioned, making Margaret nod in agreement.

"Oh. Duh," Mordecai said, shaking his head. He then opened the door and, with an extravagant bow that was very excessive, opened the door for everyone. Eileen and Margaret both smiled and thanked Mordecai while Rigby just rolled his eyes.

"Showoff," he said before grinning. He lightly pushed his friend forward before walking out of the door himself.

* * *

"So..." Margaret said as Mordecai was taking a bite of food. "...how long do you reckon you'll be gone?" Mordecai paused for a moment to do the calculations in his head and swallowed before speaking.

"Couple of years. Anywhere from three to five. Depending on how much I decide to study art. Plus I'll have to take the time to make some projects and see if I have the talent to go anywhere remotely far. It's all a matter of whether things work out or not," Mordecai explained to her.

"If you ever need the time, me and Rigby will be more than happy to let you stay with us," Eileen said, making Rigby nod. Both her and Rigby would help their friend with whatever he needed. She didn't need to ask him that to know.

"That goes double for me. We got your back," Margaret said, making Mordecai smile warmly at the three people sitting at the table.

"Thanks guys. Hopefully, I won't need to. Hopefully I'll just be able to throw something together, make a ton of money off it, and just make my way into the art world smoothly," he said.

"It's all a matter of what you can bring to the table. If you can compete with the current art that's being pushed out, you'll be fine," Margaret told him.

"Never hurts to start off on a base idea. What idea do you have to start off?" Eileen asked.

"Considering all of the crap we've gotten ourselves into, it wouldn't hurt to make some art based off that," Mordecai said.

"That sounds cool. Hey, it wouldn't hurt to adjust my size a little," Rigby said with a grin.

"So what? You want to make you look like a buff version of Don?" Mordecai questioned.

"Exactly," Rigby said, making the three people at the table shake their heads at his antics. They weren't surprised, but it was still somewhat exasperating at times.

"I'll think about it. Not painting how I experienced it might screw up the entire image," Mordecai said.

"How good do you think you'll be at painting things in front of you?" Margaret asked.

"Fairly. Why do you ask?" Mordecai asked.

"Then you'll find me to probably be your first customer," Margaret said.

"What am I painting?" Mordecai asked.

"Me," Margaret said, making Mordecai smirk.

"What, you getting a bit of an ego on me?" he questioned.

"Is that a bad thing?" Margaret asked.

"No, I'd say..." Mordecai's cheeks took on a pink tinge as he stopped his sentence. "Never mind."

"And we're back at step one," Rigby said with a smirk. Mordecai looked in his direction with a small glare, but Rigby took a sip of his drink to hide his smirk. He wasn't going to say anything. He'd let his friend figure it out for himself. Judging by the small twitches on Eileen's face, she was hiding a smirk. He wasn't exactly surprised.

"Anyway..." Mordecai trailed before looking at Margaret. "...anything else been going on?"

"Not really. The town has been quiet for the longest since you've been gone," Margaret said, making Mordecai chuckle and shake his head.

"Says a lot about us, huh?" he asked, looking in Rigby's direction.

"Oh, definitely. Still, a town with us is a boring one," he said.

"Never a dull moment when we're around," Mordecai said, bumping fists with Rigby.

"Couldn't agree more. But it would be nice to not have to get out of my sleep to report the latest unnatural incident," Margaret said with a pointed look at Mordecai, who simply raised his hands in surrender.

"Hey, you wanted this occupation. Not my problem what you have to report," he said with a grin.

"I realize that, but you could try not to get in any trouble so I don't have to report it every other day," Margaret said in an exasperated tone.

"That's impossible," Eileen said, making both Mordecai and Rigby point at her.

"What she said," the two friends said at the same time. Margaret sighed and sipped her drink, but it was to hide the smile that was about to crawl onto her face. She expected something like that. It was nice to see that their time in space didn't see to change them. Well, much. She would never forget that unnatural look of seriousness in Mordecai's eyes. Something that was very permanent looking. It was kind of hot.

She found herself blushing from the thought before looking up and see if he noticed. He was busying himself with his grilled cheese, so she was in the clear in that regard. But judging by the identical smirks from Eileen and Rigby, they did. She glared at them as she mentally scolded herself and tried to rid herself of her colored cheeks. It was a lot harder to do it on demand.

"Alright, we're finished here. I guess we can head to Wing Kingdom next," Mordecai said as he balled his wrapper into a ball and tossed it into the trash can with perfect aim. All that target practice back up in space paid off.

"Shotgun!" Rigby exclaimed, leaping from his seat and getting on all fours to head out of the door. Eileen followed as both Margaret and Mordecai shook their heads at the sight. Without even looking, the both of them took money at and placed it on the same spot. Upon the contact, both of the avians' nerves jolted a little. They looked up at each other and down at their hands, immediately retracting them.

"Oh, um..." Mordecai trailed, his cheeks going red. "I had the tab."

"No, it's fine," Margaret said, her cheeks red as well. "I mean... you have college to deal with and I have a more consistent job. It's fine."

"Well, we can just divide it," Mordecai said, taking half of his money out of the initial amount and placing it down. Margaret did the same.

"I'm fine with that," Margaret said before the both of them walked out.

 _"Boy, that was awkward,"_ Margaret thought.

 _"That was very, very awkward,"_ Mordecai thought.

* * *

A/N: Took me longer to get this chapter out than I intended, but here it is. Better late than never. I should be almost finished. Just need to come up with more ideas as to how I'm going to end it off. There'll be like one or two chapters left.


	3. Chapter 3 - Le Finale

A/N: Forgive me for dragging my feet on this story. Been kind of sleeping on it. Nevertheless, I said I was gonna finish this, so I'm gonna. Right now.

* * *

Margaret tapped her fingers on her table she was sitting at restlessly. Mordecai was leaving for art school in a few hours, and strangely enough, she couldn't get the idea out of her head. And it showed.

Throughout the day, she found herself not being able to focus as good as she could normally. She prided herself on being efficient in whatever she did. Yet today, nothing went right. She struggled to remember her lines, she stumbled over her words from time to time. Other reporters that she relatively had good conversations with noticed and asked her if something was wrong. A question she couldn't answer in a completely honest way.

 _"Is this what Mordecai was thinking when I left for college?"_ Margaret questioned in her mind. She immediately dismissed the thought. From what she heard, her leaving had affected him a lot more than simply distracting him. Eileen didn't give her any details though. Just that it hit him hard. Either way, she didn't have a reason as to why she couldn't get the thoughts out of her head. At least, a _logical_ reason as to why she was having the thoughts. After all, they had both agreed... Nope. She wouldn't even think about it.

The clock ticking right next to her signaled that it was time to leave. It was a day she barely got through without being distracted, but she still did a fairly decent job. Just not as good as usual.

As soon as she got to her house, the robin laid her keys on the table that was next to the couch before heading to the kitchen. Food and mindless TV was more than likely to take her mind off the departing Mordecai. At least until she had to go see him off. By then, she was confident she wouldn't say anything stupid. What better way to help with that than frozen pizza.

While her oven was pre-heating, she decided to do some picking up. There were a few idle crumbs left over from the movie night that her, Mordecai, Eileen, and Rigby had last night. It seemed that even though they were exhausted, they had picked up their stuff. For the most part. There were a few crumbs they would've needed a vacuum to get, and Margaret herself wouldn't vacuum that late at night even if the floor was littered with crumbs. Let the rats come and take her away if they must. She would've just wanted to sleep.

So she idly ran a vacuum around the couch as she kept an eye on the clock. About two hours until Mordecai was leaving. That was all the time was to her at this point. A countdown. Ok, so far her thoughts were still on Mordecai. Didn't matter. Every person doesn't want their best friend to go off and leave them for an extended a period of time. She tried not to let the guilt sink in at that thought. Mordecai was over it. He told her so, and she could tell he was telling the truth. Yet she was still hanging on to it.

Then something black sticking out of the couch caught her attention. She shut off the vacuum and moved over to give the item some inspection. Her eyes widened slightly. It was Mordecai's cell phone. He must've left it when he came over last night. He would definitely need this if he was going over to college. She bit her bottom beak slightly. She supposed she could wait until he was leaving to give it to him. Then again, she didn't feel like waiting. He probably had calls to make before he left. And he didn't have his phone.

 _"It wouldn't hurt to go give to him. Shouldn't take but a minute,"_ Margaret thought to herself. Nodding resolutely, she grabbed her keys and began heading out of the door. Only... she felt slightly self conscious still being in her suit that she wore at the news station. Ok, she would change. It was unnecessary, but we all do unnecessary things.

As she went towards her room, she stopped again from the sound of a beep from the kitchen. Ok, cut oven off, change, _then_ go give Mordecai his phone. Something in the back of her mind was nagging her, but she ignored it.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mordecai was turning his and... well, soon to be no one's room in search for his phone. Rigby was moving in with Eileen once Mordecai left.

The raccoon in question was scurring across the floor, going from place to place looking. Mordecai appreciated how less lazy his friend actually was. It certainly helped him with his search. Even then, they hadn't found it yet.

"Do you have any idea what you did with it?" Rigby asked.

"No, and that's the problem. I have no idea where we should start. The last time I remember having my phone was at Margaret's house when..." Mordecai stopped sifting through the closet and turned towards his best friend, who was smirking.

"You just want an excuse to go over there," Rigby teased.

"Shut up," Mordecai said. Had that been true, Mordecai's cheeks would've been bright red. At least since his priority _was_ on his phone, he was able to fight the implications of the statement. It didn't help that... familiar feelings had come back to the surface since they accidentally touched hands at Cheezers.' Man, his mind was absolutely insane sometimes.

"In any case, we don't have to go over there until we're sure we know she has it. She just got off work, and I doubt she would want to be bothered just yet," Mordecai told his friend.

"Come on. It's your last day here. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you disturbed her out of her sleep just for a cup of sugar. We can take the cart there," Rigby told him.

"Alright, we'll head over there. Just let me borrow your phone really fast," Mordecai said, holding out his hand.

"You still want to call her and tell her we're coming, don't you?" Rigby said with a sigh.

"Duh. Just hand it here," Mordecai said. Rigby grabbed his phone and handed to Mordecai, who dialed Margaret's number and held the phone up to his ear.

"You know, I have her in my contacts too you know. That doesn't seem to be a problem for you though," Rigby said in a teasing tone, causing Mordecai punch him in the arm. "Owwww!"

"Shush!" Mordecai said with a glare, moving a finger in front of his beak. "The teasing me about Margaret got old years ago."

"But it's true," Rigby mumbled as he made to get in the passenger's seat. Mordecai only shook his head as the line clicked.

 _"Rigby?"_ Margaret questioned.

"No, it's Mordecai. I'm calling on Rigby's phone because I can't find mine. Last place I remember having it is at your house. Have you seen it?" Mordecai asked.

 _"Yeah, I have it with me. I was just coming over to give it to you,"_ Margaret told him, making Mordecai's eyes widen slightly. He didn't really expect that. But at least it saved him a trip. He didn't know why it was slightly off putting.

"No, that's not necessary. I know you just got off work, and we're in the cart now," Mordecai said.

 _"Well, it's a little late for that. I'm already in my car and heading there. Do yourself a favor and just save the gas. I doubt Benson will miss the opportunity to blow one more gasket at you before you leave,"_ Margaret said in a humored tone, making Mordecai smile as well.

"You have a point there. Alright, we'll wait. See you when you get here," Mordecai said, getting out of the cart.

 _"Shouldn't take me long to get there, so you'll have your phone back in no time,"_ Margaret told him.

"Thanks. Bye," Mordecai said.

 _"Bye,"_ Margaret said before the line cut. When Mordecai turned around, Rigby was looking dead at him.

"From the sound of that, I assume we don't have to go anywhere?" he asked.

"Yup. Apparently, Margaret found my phone and was already coming over here to give it to me," Mordecai said, making Rigby smirk.

"Didn't she just get off work?" he asked, making Mordecai hesitantly nod. "It's confirmed. She likes you again."

"And you say _I_ read into stuff too much. What's so significant about her coming over here to deliver a phone?" Mordecai asked, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"She just got off work. Getting back out again is the last thing people want to do when they get off work. Believe me, I know. Trust me, she likes you again. It's just up to you if you want to follow up on that," Rigby said, raising his hands in surrender. Mordecai raised an eyebrow.

"You mean, you're not going to try some harebrained scheme to try and get us together?" he questioned in a tone of disbelief.

"Nope. Hey, if you want to try and make the relationship work even though you're gone and at college, it's up to you if you can manage it," Rigby said, making Mordecai bite his tongue slightly. Then he shook off the thoughts as he went towards the house. After all, he was NOT trying to get back together again. He knew Margaret certainly wasn't again.

"Ah, there's the Mordecai 'Denial Protocol' that you're famous for," Rigby said as if he were reading Mordecai's thoughts.

"You have a name for it?" Mordecai questioned dryly, purposely not answering his question.

"After years of being around you doing it, I had enough time to name it and tell when you're doing it. Like now," Rigby said, pointing a finger at him.

"There's nothing going on between us," Mordecai told him.

"Nothing that I've seen yet," Rigby said, still pointing his finger at Mordecai as if he were challenging him to a sword fight.

"Will you just drop it?" Mordecai said, glaring at the raccoon.

"I don't have to say anything. I'll let the awkwardness that's sure to happen speak for itself," Rigby said in a tone of self assurance. Mordecai rolled his eyes. Sometimes his friend did too much.

Margaret was right. It didn't take long for her to arrive. About five minutes after him and Rigby got in the house, the door was ringing. Mordecai was the first to his feet to open the door. He was surprised to find that she wasn't in her suit for work. She got off work like, less than ten minutes ago? It wouldn't have taken her long to find his phone, judging by how she was changed and already in the car by the time he realized it was over at Margaret's.

"Hey, um... I'm surprised you're not still in your suit. Did they let out early or something?" Mordecai asked. Then he noticed the awkward red tinge to Margaret's cheeks, and that made him pursue his lips. Great. He asked a very awkward question.

"Yeah, they did," Margaret swiftly said, giving him no time to ponder further on the subject. Then she pulled the phone out of her pocket and held it up. "Here it is. It was stuck in my couch. I know you would need it, so I came to give it to you."

"Oh, I appreciate that," Mordecai said, taking the phone from her. A simple exchange, yet... Mordecai find himself not wanting her to go just yet. He kicked himself, but the feeling was still there. He cursed Rigby for being right about the awkwardness.

"I..." His throat stuck for a moment before he cleared it. "I would of course, have needed my phone. You know, there's a lot of stuff I have to handle once I get down to Oklahoma. You saved me a trip for doing this."

"It wasn't a problem. I was just picking up a little and saw it," Margaret said, curling her left leg around her right while her hands were behind her back. Her head was slightly tilted as she looked at him. His hands flexed as he started to remember his weakness for running his fingers through bright red feathers...

 _"Stop it Mordecai!"_ he firmly told himself mentally as he willed himself to look back at Margaret without a blush threatening to rise to his cheeks. It was like high school all over again. Except he knew exactly what it was like to date her. Even now, he couldn't pinpoint a time he was happier. There were close contenders, but that feeling... _that_ feeling...

"Mordecai?" Margaret suddenly questioned, making him snap out of his stupor. This time he couldn't hold back the blush that sprang to his cheeks, but he moved his head deliberately to crack his neck before shaking it around in hopes to make it look subtle but in reality, it was to shake off the embarrassment. He was at least happy to say that he had gotten better at that.

"Sorry I tuned out for a moment there," Mordecai said. He was happy to say his cheeks weren't red. What's more, Margaret didn't seem to notice.

"Didn't know I was that uninteresting," Margaret said with a wry smirk. It obvious she was joking. Unfortunately, Mordecai's vocal chords acted before his brain did. Since when was that ever a thing?

"I didn't mean that!" he suddenly blurted, surprising Margaret slightly. "That's far from the truth, really." Then his brain caught up, and he was left blushing again. And he had no reason to crack his neck now. He just opted on turning his head and scratching the back of his head awkwardly again.

The slight tilt of Margaret's head became more distinct as she looked at him. Her eyes were swimming with a look; as if she were thinking about something she couldn't really figure out. He knew it was about the way he acted, but the look was in her eyes longer than he expected. Like, a lot longer. Then she grinned.

"And that's all the proof I need to know that no matter what you go through, Mordecai will always be Mordecai," she said, making him smile wide as well. Just like that, she was able to melt the awkwardness away. With a smile and a compliment. This is why she was amazing.

"Yup. I'm still me. Just with a few more memories. Good and bad," Mordecai said, trying not to let his thoughts drift back to Pops. He had enough dealing with that as the days rolled by.

"I'm glad," Margaret said with a gentle smile that made his heart flutter. Crap, there was no point in denying he fell for her again. It'd be stupid at this point. But given how he was leaving for college in less than two hours, he was gonna have to bite the feelings down.

"You two gonna come in, or hold the entire conversation on the doorstep?" Rigby questioned. As much as he wanted to glare at his friend for that, he knew he was right. They were having an entire conversation on the doorstep of the house.

"Oh. Right. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I'm sure you wanna get back to your house and rest up after a hard day's work," Mordecai said. Margaret tilted her head even more before it suddenly straightened, a smile on her face.

"Nah, I think I'd rather stay. That is, if you don't mind..." Margaret said innoculously.

"'Course not. Come in," Mordecai said, stepping aside for her to walk in. Then he looked at Rigby, who had that smirk on his face. The very smirk on his face when he knew he was right and someone was wrong. Eileen was the only one he didn't do that to. The few times he _could_ pull it off with her. With Mordecai, it happened more times than he'd care to admit.

Rigby then looked at his phone before hopping up and heading towards the door. The eyes of both avians followed him to the door while Mordecai was the first one to speak.

"Where are you going?" he asked. Rigby only turned and showed him Eileen's text to meet him at the coffee shop. It was literally sent less than a minute ago. But he couldn't help but feel that his friend planned this...

"No offense, but I'd rather be there than here," Rigby said, waving at the two birds. Then he left. Almost hastily. Margaret raised an eyebrow upon his departure before turning to Mordecai.

"He left in a hurry," she told him.

"At least I don't have to listen to him say uncomfortable things, so take it as a blessing," Mordecai said as he sat on the couch. Margaret then sat down next to him and he looked at her as he relaxed where he sat.

"So..." Margaret started awkwardly. "Do you think you're ready for school?"

"As ready as I can be, I guess. I'm going there with a drive this time. I w _ill_ finish art school. I assure you of that," Mordecai said firmly.

"Nice to see you've got obvious motivation to this," Margaret said with a small smile.

"Figure it's what's going to get me through the whole thing. I never was one for doing what I liked in the form of an assignment. I just liked _doing_ it, you know? Then I just made a mistake and ended up losing all confidence as an artist," Mordecai said, trying not to brood on the memory. "Don't think I've told you that before."

"You didn't," Margaret said. Truly, she didn't know why he dropped out of art school. She never pried. Not even while they were dating. She never felt the need to bring it up. All that mattered was that he was alright in the here and now.

"Well, now you know. But now here's my chance to redo it all over again. And I got the drive that I didn't have after that happened. So this time'll be different," Mordecai said.

"I'm glad. And if you need our help at all..."

"Don't you worry about that. That space program covered all my funds for the school, so..."

"That's not what I meant. My turn to interrupt," Margaret said with a smirk playing on her lips."I mean moral support. I'll come down there if you need to." Her tone phrased it as a joke, but she had the strangest feeling that she actually would go down there if he asked.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary, but I more than appreciate the thought," Mordecai said with a smile. That smile of his... an old weakness she didn't know she still had. She mentally scolded herself as she looked him back in the eye.

"I'm sure the others feel the same way," Margaret said as a way to disperse the thoughts in her head.

"Mmm, true. But you're the first one to say it," Mordecai said, the slight smile growing even wider to show teeth.

"Alright, enough of the college. We don't have to focus on that until another... hour and forty five minutes," Margaret said, looking at the clock. "We can do what you want until then."

"I'm content just sitting here and talking," Mordecai said, resting his arm on the top of the couch. Margaret only smiled.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked.

"How have you been?" Mordecai asked casually, causing Margaret to whack him on the arm. He only laughed loudly while Margaret couldn't help but notice it seemed sturdier than before. But then she recovered with a smirk playing on her lips.

"Be serious!" she told him.

"I _am_ serious. Seriously, how are you?" Mordecai asked, his tone more genuine.

"I suppose I couldn't complain. I mean, now that you all have come back, I'm definitely much better than before. But before, things were just... dull. Had no one but family to visit at the time, and even that gets old. You know how my dad gets," Margaret said.

"Oh, I do. Before he actually gave me a chance, that is," Mordecai said.

"Treasure that. Cause not many people get the privlege," Margaret said, making Mordecai smirk.

"I'll treasure it... like, um..." Mordecai cut himself from what he was about to say before scratching his head in mock confusion. Man, these feelings were making a simple conversation harder than it had to be. "Crap. Thought I had a decent analogy to compare it to."

"That's becuase you use this..." Margaret put a finger on his lips before pointing to his skull. "...before you use that."

"Of course. Because it's a lot more fun that way," Mordecai said, a smirk playing on his lips.

"It also makes you look like a baffoon like a few seconds ago," Margaret said, copying his smirk.

"Hey! I do not look like a baffoon. I look like a very charming intellectual, thank you very much," he said in a haughty tone while pretending to adjust a tie.

"To monkeys maybe," she muttered, but just loud enough for Mordecai to hear it. She knew she got a reaction from him once she heard his form shift. What she did not expect was to find his form leaning over hers with a grin on his face.

"This monkey will go bananas on you unless you take it back," Mordecai said, calling upon every fiber of his being to not take this out of context.

"And just what do you intend to do if I don't?" Margaret asked with a raised brow. She was intentionally baiting him. She wanted to know what he would do. Something that would appease her thumping heart. "Please let me know what you mean by 'go bananas.'"

Mordecai didn't have an answer to that. The smile on his face disappeared and was replaced by a look that was more... searching. His heart rate sped up considerably as he stared into her eyes. Unless he was mistaken, he felt her shiver slightly. The smile had also disappeared on her face and she seemed to mirror the look on his face.

"There are a few things..." Mordecai said, managing to find his voice. But only a little. "...I could think of. But they're... a bit unorthodox."

"Try me," Margaret said, leaning into him slightly. Her hands found their way to the back of his head as she stared at him. Aw, to heck with college distance. He lowered his lips down to hers and kissed her as hard as he could.

The instant reception was the first thing he noticed when he kissed her. That meant he was not stopping. He was prepared to get off her, apologize profusely for doing what he did, then insist that they do something else other than talk. But this... _this_ was way better.

"I missed you so much," Margaret said between kisses.

"So did I," Mordecai said, his hand finding its way into her feathers at the top of her head. He ran his fingers through them while continuing to kiss her. There was that feeling again. A feeling he missed. A feeling he didn't even know he would miss again. Now it felt like an ache that had been eased.

Her fingers found their way into his hair as well as she directed his head more towards her neck. The smile on her face grew wider from the feeling of his lips on her neck. Years of dating, and there was one person who could make her feel like this. No matter where they kissed, no matter what they said, they couldn't beat _this._ Feelings of such euphoria that neither could find a description. Only they understood the feeling, and them alone. And they alone could elicit the sensation from each other.

"So..." Mordecai said as his lips detached from her neck and his gaze rose up to meet hers. "...I can assume you've been struggling with this like I have?"

"If the thoughts have been worming their way into your mind since Cheezers', then yes. Most definitely," Margaret said.

"You too, huh? In many different ways, I find myself coming back to you. First high school... then the coffee shop... turn back around to last Christmas... then back from space, and I'm back here." In between each pause, he put a kiss on a different part of her skin every time. Margaret smiled wider.

"You know, for once I think you're right," Margaret said.

"I'm always right," he said with a gentle smile. "Most of the time."

"I miss today being opposite day or something?" Margaret teased causing Mordecai to laugh brightly as he continued to run his fingers through her feathers.

"Ah, some of my old weaknesses still remain. Your laugh. Running my hand through your hair. Kissing you. Savoring the scent of you..." Mordecai ran his beak from her stomach all the way back up to her face, and Margaret couldn't help another shiver.

"I think that goes ditto for me. Familiar sensations and feelings. Things that you do that make me remember why I get like this sometimes," Margaret said, her hand on his left cheek. "Would it be selfish of me to ask you to wait for me? I mean, you've never done the same and you let me move on with my life. Yet, now that I'm in the position... I can't find myself wanting to let go. Not again."

"Me neither, to be quite honest. We just need to actually _try,"_ Mordecai said, refusing to take his eyes off her. "Holidays, calls, whatever it takes. I'm not letting this feeling go again."

"Neither am I," Margaret said.

* * *

Mordecai put his stuff in the trunk of Margaret's car before turning to Rigby and Eileen. The both of them arrived when the two of them were still wrestling tongues on the couch. Eileen pretended to cough while Rigby had a smirk on his face. Margaret simply straightened her clothes while none of them acted like they did anything wrong. Even though their cheeks were bright red. His friend was a bit slow on the uptake, but when he moved, he moved well. He had the strangest feeling if they didn't arrive, Benson would have to replace the couch.

"Well this is it," Mordecai said.

"Enough of the crap. Come back an artist so you can marry Margaret and we can do a joint wedding," Rigby said, making Mordecai grin.

"You got a deal," he said as he looked at Eileen. "I'm not gonna be here as much, so you better keep him in line."

"Don't worry. I'll definitely handle that. It should be easier since I won't have to get him up for work," Eileen said, kissing her boyfriend. Mordecai smiled at the two before waving them goodbye. Rather than the depressing feeling he felt he would have during the way to the airport, she just had hope. That that he still had something to come home to after he finished art school.

"Ready?" Margaret asked.

"As I'll ever be," Mordecai said, putting his hand on Margaret's as she moved to adjust the lever for parking. The smile just wouldn't leave her face.

* * *

A/N: Ran through this in one day. I was determined to give you all this, and here it is. From this point on, Mordecai marries Margaret straight out of art school and the ending is basically the same. The image of Eileena laughing with Margaret fits more in my mind than Mordecai's canon wife while Margaret is nowhere to be seen. So that's that! Hope you enjoyed this! Even though it took me a century to get the last chapter out!


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